Ditch ing-machine



(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 2. D. J. POWERS.

DITUHING MACHINE- No. 319,421. Patented June 2, 1885,

2 drawings and specification.

7 NrTEn L STATES Pa'rnniir amen,

DAVID J. POWERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLIh OIS.

DITCHING-MASHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.319fi21, dated June 2, 1885.

Application filed December 8, 1884.

5 nois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tile Ditching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to tile ditching machines; and it consists in a peculiarly-con- IO structed digging-wheel and buckets upon the same, and other subordinate devices, that will be set forth in the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows a side elevation of my wheel with its buckets thereon, also a portion of the supportingframe and accompanying parts. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, shows a central cross-section of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional portion of the wheel, pitch-board scraper, and the hinged lids of the side and rear of the buckets; Fig.

4, an enlarged view of the scraper; Fig. 5, a side view, and Fig. 6 an end view, of a bucket with closed sides.

Like letters indicate like parts in both the My invention is for improvements upon my machine on which I applied for a patent July 7, 1884:, Serial No. 137,037, and are as follows: My wheelA is pivoted upon a shaft, B,which is journaled in frame 0. The wheel has a rim about nine feet in diameter and about ten inches thick. Its periphery is beveled to an angle of forty-five degrees (more or less) upon its front side. Upon its back side are secured at equal distances seven buckets or scoops,

attached to the wheel only at the back, and therefore overhanging more or 1ess-that is to say, with the front edge free of attachment to the wheel, so as to permit the entrance and passage of the scraper and its supporting-arm,

which is attached to the stationary frame outside the wheel. The buckets are bent over in a semicircle, as seen in cross-section, Figs. 2 and 6, and extend down to the hinged doors 5 E, the front of the bucket being sharpened to a cutting-edge,and said front also being three inches (more or less) farther out than the rear ends in order to give a free cutting-edge. To these buckets are hinged the doors ,E, and to 0 the rear ends of doors E are hinged rear doors,

F, adapted, when door E is closed, to also close the rear ends of the bucket, and both (No model.)

be closed by guy I and guy-rod J, door F being closed by the angle f, and to thus be kept closed as the wheel revolves when at work until the buckets rise above the pitchboard,

when they are again free to open and pass over the scraper and down behind the guy, as before, during which movement the earth either falls out of the buckets upon the pitch-board, or is removed by the scraper.

It will be observed that the side door, E, and end door, F, both open outwardly and away from the periphery of the Wheel, and thus permit the contents to escape in straight lines or without deflection by passing over ledges or deflecting portions of the bucket, securing at all times a clean bucket, whatever the earth or clay may be in which the machine may be working. The arrangement of the doors E F to open outwardly not only permits the matters brought up in the buckets to pass out unobstructedly in a straight course, but it admits the free passage of a scraper which is attached to and supported by the exterior stationary frame of the machine. When at work,of course the wheel is let down to the desired depth. The back board, K, is to keep the earth from falling over the back side of the wheel, and clip L (seen in Figs. 1 and 2) is attached to board K, and bent to conform closely to the top of the bucket, so as to wipe off any sod or other material that might adhere to the outer edges of the bucket, and but for the clip be carried over into the ditch. Scraper H has an adjustable top, M, (shown in Fig. 4,) adapted to be borne up by a. spring, m, and to be forced down by the inner slope of the bucket from front to rear, thus enabling the scraper to adapt itself to the top arch of the bucket its entire length, and thus at all times clean out all of its contents. In some earths this adjustable device is not necessary, and in others it is.

N and O are braces to support the scraper.

For some soils I modify my bucket by omitting the side doors, as shown in drawings 5 and 6, and find the machine to work satisfac torily when thus constructed. In such construction I still use the door F to close the rear of the bucket and adapt the scraper H as seen in Fig.5. Upon shaft 13 is journaled spool P,

around which the cable winds capstan fashion, to propel the machine toward the anchor when in use. The spool has ratchet-teeth upon the ends next to the wheel, and upon the wheel is pivoted a pawl, R, adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth of the spool, and thus cause it to turn with the wheel, and thus wind up the cable; but when it is desired to draw tlfe anchor ahead to reset it, by freeing the spool from the pawl, the spool is left free to turn upon the shaft, and thus to allow the cable to be freely drawn out with the anchor-a great convenience when advancing and resetting the anchor, compared with pulling and slipping it back over a tight spool.

I am aware that open ended connected scoop-buckets have been hitherto used; but I am not aware that separate back attached or overhung scoops, with their rear ends closed by outwardly-opening doors, have been known or used upon a ditching-wheel; therefore,

What I consider new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows:

1. An overhung ditching-machine bucket supported only upon its back side, with an automatically outwardly opening and closing rear end, in combination with suitable opening and closing devices, whereby the bucket is opened for free discharge of the contents ina straight course, substantially as shown and described.

2. An overhung ditching-machine bucket attached and supported upon its back side only, with automatically outwardlyopening and closing side and rear doors, with devices for opening the same, in combination with a ditching-wheel, a pitch-board, and scraper, Substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The backboard, K, and clip L, in combination with the ditching-wheel and buckets, substantial] y as and for the purpose specified.

DAVID J. POWERS.

Witnesses:

. A. O. HIGGINS,

WALTER O. NELSON. 

